I'm beginning to dislike this high-protein, no-carb thing. I feel as if many people don't look at food as food anymore. Instead, they see it as a carb count. I understand the need to eat fewer carb-rich foods. But it's gone too far. If I sound adamant about this, it's because I just came home from the supermarket where I saw a huge display of minuscule bags of low-carb potato chips for $3 each. Then I tried the new low-carb bread that tasted like sponge and fiberboard. I swigged a new low-carb soda sample that could have been supplied by a chemical company.

Any holiday that gives me an excuse to use chili peppers is OK in my book. Cinco De Mayo, or the Fifth of May, commemorates Mexico's victory over the French army in 1862. To me, it is a festive food day full of chili-spiked recipes. I always have at least 10 different chili peppers growing in my garden. I even plant my chili pepper seeds in order of heat content. I start with the mild Anaheim peppers on the west side of my garden and proceed to the exotic Kashmiri purple chili peppers on the east.

Even in our warm Florida weather, a belly full of porridge is a healthful way to start the day, and there is no shortage of raw materials. In addition to staples such as steel-cut oats and hot rice cereals, there are ancient grains packed so full of proteins, amino acids, calcium and fiber they make brown rice look like junk food. Porridge, you ask? If the word sounds antiquarian, no wonder. Porridge has been stuffed into a pouch of instant flakes and appropriated by the microwave. Tear here.

For a chef who made his mark with seafood, Michael Schwartz keeps pulling rabbits out of his hat. A restaurant that can last on South Beach for more than five years is automatically in a rarefied league, but Nemo is special because it has increased its quality. It started out good, quickly became very good and is now consistently great, all with the same guiding force in the kitchen and the same basic approach: food that celebrates freshness, a menu that is innovative without worrying about fads and an atmosphere that neatly tows the line between comfort and formality.

I first wrote about quinoa more than five years ago. It wasn't very popular then. Few people cooked it at home, and it was hard to find when dining out. Things have changed. Now it's on menus everywhere. It's on the shelves of many supermarkets. Even my parents eat quinoa, honestly. Quinoa must always be washed in a strainer before cooking because it's covered with a layer of saponin. This is nature's bitter natural coating to keep pests and birds away from this grain while it grows. When you rinse quinoa it looks a bit frothy in the water.

The most tiresome conversational gambit in the history of the entire world is, "Hey, did you know the tomato is really a fruit?" No, it's not. In ordinary English, a fruit is a part of a plant that we eat because it's sweet or primarily used for making desserts. (Odd cases like the lemon and the pumpkin are classed with their nearest relatives.) It's true that botanists call a plant's seed-bearing structure its fruit, and (as we all know) a tomato has seeds, but so what? In that sense, eggplants, peppers, squashes, cucumbers and olives are fruits too. In fact, in the special terminology of botany, nearly every vegetable that's not more or less a root or a leaf is a fruit.

I recently found out that I have wheat allergies, which is probably why I haven't been able to breathe well for the last 10 years. Wheat allergies are common and wheat substitutes hard to find. But I've discovered quinoa flour that can often be used instead. Quinoa is an ancient grain eaten by the Aztec and Mayan Indians. Its nickname, "supergrain," is well-deserved because of its amazing nutritional profile. It is one of the only grains that is a complete protein, supplying all the essential amino acids.

We have slowly learned to appreciate grains for their versatility, low cost, good flavor and high nutrient value. They have finally shed their "good for you, but boring" persona and are finding their way into our kitchens and onto our tables. From the familiar but previously all but ignored barley (except in soups) to exotica such as quinoa and bulgur, salads are a great way to introduce grains into the family diet. Grain salads are simple to make, attractive to serve and absolutely delicious to eat. The following salad of quinoa, shrimp and cilantro is fresh tasting and pretty.

This entree is a modern and light version of an old Russian dish my mother makes called Kasha and Varnischkes or bowties. I can't help it - I get a kick out of lightening an old tradition. Quinoa is a fascinating grain that is a staple for vegetarians because it contains a large amount of protein. This supergrain is cultivated high in the Andes mountains where it is revered as a sacred food. With this grain, I mix sweet caramelized onions, starchy pasta shapes and tofu for an attractive dish.